HB 2073 — An Act amending the act of June 24, 1931 (P.L.1206, No.331), known as The First Class Township Code, in preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions, for excluded provisions, for construction of act generally, for construction of references, for how act applies and for saving clauses where class of townships changed, repealing provisions relating to exception as to taxation and further providing for legal advertising; in classification and creation of townships of the first class, further providing for article heading and for provisions relating to classification, repealing provisions relating to enrollment to ascertain population, providing for creation of townships of the first class from townships of the second class, repealing provisions relating to proclamations by county commissioners, to submission of question to voters, to returns of election and effect thereof, to ascertainment of population and to submission of question to voters and returns of election and effect thereof, providing for reestablishment of townships of the second class, further providing for subdivision heading, providing for consolidation or merger, further providing for officers for new townships, repealing provisions relating to election of commissioners in new townships and to election of tax collector in new townships, further providing for certificate of creation of township and providing for change of name of township of first class; repealing provisions relating to change of name of township of first class; in townships lines and boundaries, further providing for stream boundaries, for establishment of boundaries, for petition to court and commissioners' report, for exceptions and procedure, for monuments, for compensation and expenses of commissioners and cost and for adjustment of indebtedness; in wards, further providing for creation, division and redivision of wards, providing for petition of electors, repealing provisions relating to filing and confirmation of report and exceptions, providing for county board of elections, repealing provisions relating to compensation of commissioners, to election districts and to numbering of wards, further providing for schedule for election of commissioners in townships first divided into wards and for schedule of election of commissioners in newly created wards and providing for Pennsylvania Election Code; in election of officers and vacancies in office, further providing for eligibility, for hold until successors qualified and for elected officers enumerated, repealing provisions relating to commissioners, to tax collector, to assessors, to auditors and to controller and further providing for vacancies in general; in general provisions relating to township officers, further providing for oath, for bonds, for compensation, for removal of township officers and appointees and for annuities in lieu of joining pension or retirement system, repealing provisions relating to county associations of township officers, further providing for formation of State association authorized, repealing provisions relating to delegates from townships, providing for authorization to attend annual meetings and educational conferences, further providing for expenses of delegates paid by townships, repealing provisions relating to expenses of annual meeting and to conferences, institutes and schools, providing for provisions relating to county associations of township officers, further providing for subdivision heading, for appointments of police and firemen, for civil service commission created, appointments and vacancies, for offices incompatible with civil service commissioner, for organization of commission and quorum, for clerks and supplies, for rules and regulations, for minutes and records, for investigations, for subpoenas, for annual report, for general provisions relating to examinations, for application for examination, for rejection of applicant and hearing, for eligibility list and manner of filling appointments, for age and applicant's residence, for probation period, for provisional appointments, for promotions, for physical and psychological medical examinations, for removals, for hearings on dismissals and reduction, for present employees exempted, for discrimination on account of political or religious affiliations and for penalty, repealing provisions relating to salaries of civil service commission and further providing for police force and fire apparatus operators defined; in township commissioners, further providing for organization and failure to organize, for monthly meetings, quorum and voting, for compensation and for reports to auditors; in appointed township treasurer, further providing for township treasurer, for treasurer's bond, for treasurer's duties, for use of special funds and penalty and for depositories of township funds; in tax collector, further providing for powers and duties of tax collector; in township secretary, further providing for election of secretary and salary, for assistant secretary, for duties and penalty and for records open to inspection; in auditors, providing for subarticle heading, further providing for meetings, general duties and compensation, providing for compensation, further providing for subpoenas, power to administer oaths and penalty, for surcharges, auditors' report and publication of financial statements, for canceling orders, for penalty for failure to perform duty and for employment and compensation of attorney, providing for surcharge by auditors, further providing for balances due to be entered as judgments, for collection of surcharges, for appeals from report, for appeal bond and for consolidation of appeals, repealing provisions relating to testimony and argument, to framed issues and to prima facie evidence, further providing for judgment and for cost, repealing provisions relating to appeals, further providing for counsel fees and providing for provisions relating to appointed independent auditor; in controller, further providing for oath and bond of controller, for salary of controller, for general powers and duties of controller, may require attendance of witnesses and penalty, for controller to countersign warrants, for controller to prevent appropriation over drafts, for amount of contracts to be charged against appropriations, for management and improvement of township finances, for books to be kept by controller, for appeals from controller's report, bond and procedure on appeal and for controller to retain books, documents, et cetera and pending appeals; in township solicitor, further providing for election and vacancies, repealing provisions relating to bond and further providing for solicitor to have control of law matters and for duties of solicitor; in township engineer, further providing for election of township engineer, term and filling of vacancies, repealing provisions relating to bond, further providing for control of engineering matters, for duties and preparation of plans, for certificate of commencement and of completion of municipal improvements and for surveys and repealing provisions relating to real estate registry; providing for township manager; providing for veterans' affairs; in police, further providing for appointment, compensation and training of policemen, providing for special fire police, further providing for chief of police and other officers, for powers of policemen, for service of process and fees and for supervision of police, repealing provisions relating to keepers to receive prisoners, further providing for badge, for not to receive fees, for establishment of police pension fund and management and for private police pension funds and optional transfers, repealing provisions relating to minimum service for retirement, to retirement allowance, to general funds of township not liable, to township appropriations, gifts and management, to reasons for denying retirement allowance and to annuity contracts in lieu of police pension fund and further providing for school crossing guards; in corporate powers, further providing for suits and property, providing for real property, for personal property, for exceptions, for surcharge from sale or lease and for general powers, further providing for corporate powers of a township, providing for officers, positions and departments, for police force, for lockup facilities, for rewards, for disorderly conduct, for public safety, for fire protection, for building and housing regulations, for numbering buildings, for regulation of business, for nuisances and dangerous structures, for municipal waste, for fireworks and inflammable articles, for smoke regulations, for prohibition of fire producing devices and smoking, for animals, for regulation of foundations, party walls and partition fences, for ambulances and rescue and lifesaving services, for display of flags, for health and cleanliness regulations, for public facilities, for hospital appropriations, for community nursing services, for parking and parking lots, for appropriations for certain streets, for airports, for appropriations for airports, for purchase and planting of trees, for intergovernmental cooperation, for widening and deepening of watercourses, for regulation of charges, for street, sewer, sidewalk, etc. and regulations, for capital reserve fund, for operating reserve fund, for surplus foods, for industrial promotions, for nondebt revenue bonds, for historical properties, for insurance, for appropriations for urban common carrier mass transportation, for open burning, for community development, for observances and celebrations, for building hospitals, for tourist promotion agencies, for sale of real or personal property to nonprofit medical service corporation, for sale of real or personal property to nonprofit housing corporation, for nonprofit art corporations, for neighborhood crime watch programs, for drug and alcohol abuse programs, for watershed associations, for emergency services, for mines and quarries, for conservation district, for electricity and for storm water and further providing for typewritten, printed, photostated and microfilmed records valid and recording or transcribing records; providing for real estate registry; in public health, repealing a subarticle heading, further providing for appointment of boards of health and health officers, for members of board, terms and secretary, for organization of board, salary of secretary, bonds, fees and penalties and power to administer oaths, for duties of secretary, for duties of health officer, for powers of board of health, for entry of premises, for inspections, for budget and appropriations, for cooperation in health work and for powers of Secretary of Health and repealing provisions relating to expenses incurred by board or Secretary of Health, to suits by State Secretary of Health to recover expenses, to payment of expenses recovered into State Treasury and provisions relating to vacation of streets declared nuisances by board of health; in finance and taxation, further providing for fiscal year, annual budget and regulation of appropriations, for amending budget and notice, for committee to prepare uniform forms and for appropriations not to be exceeded and changes in appropriations, repealing provisions relating to certain contracts invalid, to power to create indebtedness, sinking fund and temporary indebtedness and to sinking fund and regulations and investments and further providing for investment of township funds, for indebtedness and orders of previous years, for disbursements to pay indebtedness, for tax levies, for additions and revisions to duplicates, for tax rates to be expressed in dollars and cents, for special levies to pay indebtedness and for delivery of duplicates; in contracts, further providing for power to make contracts, for general regulations concerning contracts, for evasion of advertising requirements, for bonds for protection of labor and materialmen, for purchase contracts for petroleum products, fire company, etc. and participation, for separate specifications for branches of work and for workmen's compensation insurance, repealing provisions relating to engineers and architects not to be interested in contracts and to minimum wages under contracts and further providing for penalty for personal interest in contracts; in eminent domain, assessment of damages and benefits, repealing subdivision heading, further providing for exercise of eminent domain and for restrictions as to certain property, providing for declaration of intention, further providing for value of land or property not to be assessed as benefits and exceptions and for title acquired and repealing provisions relating to procedure for the exercise of eminent domain and for the assessment of damages and benefits; in streets and highways, repealing subdivision heading, providing for definitions, for township street plan and for certain streets declared public streets, repealing subdivision heading, further providing for power to lay out, open, widen, vacate, et cetera, for burial grounds, et cetera, saved and for notice of hearing, repealing provisions relating to draft and report, to exceptions to report, to appointment of viewers and to notices to be posted along improvement, providing for petition for opening, etc. and for notice of petition, further providing for width of public roads, for opening and repairing roads and for detours, repealing provisions relating to laying out roads under the general road law, providing for street connecting with street of another municipal corporation, repealing subdivision heading and provisions relating to scope of subdivision, further providing for plans of dedicated streets, repealing provisions relating to appeals where commissioners refuse approval, to no responsibility on township where plans not approved, to entry of lands, to penalty and to powers of State and counties preserved, providing for powers of State and counties preserved, for exclusive nature of provisions, for failure of board of commissioners to hold hearing, for entry on land to maintain marks and monuments and for bike paths, repealing subdivision heading, further providing for agreements to relocate, alter and vacate streets in or near State parks, repealing provisions relating to agreement to be filed in court and effect of filing, to altered and relocated streets declared township streets, to assessment of damages and to elimination of curves and repealing subdivision headings, further providing for improving or vacating streets by agreement, repealing subdivision heading, further providing for proceedings on petition, repealing provisions relating to grading restrictions, to notice, to contents of notice, to appeals from ordinance, to assessment of damages and benefits by viewers, to assessments to bear interest and collection, to grading, draining, curbing, paving or macadamizing streets or highways and collection of cost by foot front rule and to road material, ditches, drains and watercourses, providing for power to open drains and ditches, repealing a subdivision heading, further providing for provisions relating to trees, shrubbery and obstructions within limits of streets or highways, repealing a subdivision heading, further providing for provisions relating to protection of streets and highways from snowdrifts, repealing a subdivision heading and provisions relating to duty to erect, providing for naming of streets and for street lighting, ornamental lighting and traffic control signals and devices, further providing for penalty for destroying, repealing a subdivision heading, further providing for railroad crossings and for street permits, repealing a subdivision heading, further providing for provisions relating to county aid in the improvement of township streets, repealing provisions relating to penal provisions and to opening, making, amending and repairing streets and bridges by contracts with taxpayers and providing for boundary streets, for streets, the center line of which is the boundary between a township and another municipal corporation, for streets having more than half of their width within township and for assessment for improvements on property outside limits where street entirely within township; repealing provisions relating to boundary roads and streets; in bridges and viaducts, further providing for article heading, repealing subdivision heading, further providing for provisions relating to bridges and viaducts as part of street, repealing a subdivision heading and provisions relating to power to construct, further providing for maintenance, repealing provisions relating to bridges and viaducts over marshy or swampy grounds, creeks, rivulets, gullies, canals and railroads and a subdivision heading, further providing for bridges on division line of townships and repealing provisions relating to bridges between townships and municipalities, to bridges over railroad or canal and to maintenance, repair and rebuilding of bridges built by county; in sidewalks, further providing for power to lay out, ordain and establish grades, for width, for paving and curbing sidewalks and for repair of sidewalks and providing for emergency repairs; in sewers and drains, further providing for article heading, for power to establish and construct sewers and drains, require connections and sewer rentals and for sewer and drainage systems, constructed by any municipality authority, connection by owners and enforcement, providing for notice of contemplated construction, further providing for location of sewers on private property and for treatment works and facilities therefor, repealing provisions relating to entry on lands to mark sewer routes and damages and to enforcement of judgment for damages, further providing for cost of construction and how paid, for sewer districts and for manner of assessment, repealing provisions relating to procedure for assessment of benefits, to lien for assessments and costs of proceedings and to assessment of property outside limits of townships for sewers, further providing for provisions relating to acquisition of sewer system from private interests and distribution of costs, to contracts with individuals or corporations for construction and maintenance of sewer and drainage systems, to sewers and drains in streets or highways or over private property and assessment of cost of construction according to benefits and for consent necessary, repealing provisions relating to assessment of cost, further providing for subdivision heading and for connection by agreement or petition and appointment of viewers, repealing provisions relating to notice of contemplated construction and protests by property owners, further providing for subdivision heading and for building joint sewers, repealing provisions relating to State permit and a subdivision heading; repealing provisions relating to collection by installment of the cost of street, curb, sidewalk and sewer improvements; providing for assessments for public improvements; providing for assessments, for public improvements; repealing provisions relating to revolving fund for street and sewer improvements; in water supply and waterworks, further providing for article heading and for contract with water companies and municipality and development of own water supply, providing for public utility law saved and for rates, further providing for State permit, for occupation of highways and for property damages and bond by township, repealing provisions relating to appointment of viewers, further providing for water districts and application of taxpayers and for connection to water supply system, repealing provisions relating to connection to water supply system of municipality authorities, further providing for cost of connection and where payable and for default in payment of installment, repealing provisions relating to entry of liens and further providing for subdivision heading, for joint maintenance of works with municipality, for State permits and for commission of waterworks; in manufacture and sale of electricity, further providing for manufacture and sale of electricity, for may regulate use and prices, for sale of hydroelectric generating facilities, for construction or purchase of hydroelectric generating facilities and for submission to electors; in public buildings, further providing for town hall, for unloading and warehouses, for appropriation of property, for ordinance of commissioners, for assessment of damages and for use of public lands acquired for other purposes; in licenses and licenses fees, further providing for provisions relating to transient retail merchants, for agents for licensed dealers not to be licensed, for insurance agents and brokers not to be licensed and for license fees on residents not to exceed those on nonresidents; in parks, recreation centers, shade trees and forests, further providing for acquisition of lands and buildings, for creation of recreation board, for composition of park or recreation boards, for organization of park or recreation boards and powers and duties delegated to the board by the commissioners, for maintenance and tax levy, for joint ownership and maintenance, for issue of bonds, for right of establishment, for personnel of commission, appointment, terms and vacancies, for powers may be vested in park commission, for general powers of commission, for hiring of employees and legislative power of commission, for report of commission, for notice of commission's activities and planting or removal of shade trees, for landholders liability for costs and for removal of diseased trees, repealing provisions relating to assessments liens, further providing for maintenance by township and funds for and for penalties, repealing provisions relating to disposition of penalties, further providing for right of acquisition of forest lands, repealing provisions relating to approval of Department of Forests and Waters and further providing for ordinance and notice, for appropriation for acquisition, for rules and regulations, for appropriation for maintenance, for use of township forests, for ordnance of sale and for appropriation of money to forestry organizations; in land subdivision, repealing article heading; in zoning, repealing article heading; in Uniform Construction Code, Property Maintenance Code and reserved powers, further providing for changes in Uniform Construction Code, for property maintenance code and for reserved powers; in township planning commission, repealing article heading; repealing provisions relating to enforcement of ordinances; providing for ordinances; in actions by and against townships, further providing for recovery of municipal claims by suit; and, in repeals, further providing for provisions relating to repeals and repealing provisions relating to inconsistent repeals.

Last action October 29, 2020 — Approved by the Governor